


Package Deal

by biscuitsandgravy



Category: Free!
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Third Wheels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 21:52:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3785587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biscuitsandgravy/pseuds/biscuitsandgravy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ai was starting to feel like he actually had two boyfriends; Nagisa had brought Rei along on almost every date they had been on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Package Deal

Nitori Aiichirou didn’t know what he had gotten himself into. He had no idea that when Nagisa asked him out that he would be getting more than he bargained for. At first he didn’t mind, but after three weeks of dating, Ai was starting to feel like he actually had two boyfriends; Nagisa had brought Rei along on almost every date they had been on.

Ai didn’t mind admitting that he had never really had a “best friend.” He had always been the type to have many casual friends, but he had never been the type to get particularly close to one person. Even Rin, who he’d lived with for a year (and briefly had a wild crush on), mostly felt like his mentor. It was the same with Momo; he grew to genuinely enjoy the younger boy’s company, but they definitely weren’t best friends. At any rate, the people he was closest to were ones he’d shared a dorm room with, but they still weren’t especially close.

So maybe that was why he was surprised at how often he saw Rei in addition to Nagisa (the person who he’d actually agreed to date). Ai didn’t consider that maybe some people did have a person so close to them that they would want to be around each other all of the time- isn’t that what boyfriends were for?

Although he definitely didn’t have a problem with Rei! While the other man could be a bit wordy at times (meaning almost all the time), Ai could see why Nagisa enjoyed his company so much. Rei was loyal and intelligent, but rather oblivious in a way that made him very easy to tease. 

Once, the three of them had been at a coffee shop and Rei had begun explaining (even though no one had asked) about the theories behind selecting the perfect beans and brewing the perfect coffee. While Rei was busy explaining the process, Nagisa winked at Ai and then asked, “Are you sure you don’t have your foods mixed up, Rei-chan? Chocolate comes from beans, not coffee.” Ai tried not to laugh when Rei shrieked with indignation that someone who was almost a high school graduate could not know that coffee and chocolate came from completely separate plants, and how could he think about living in the real world without such basic knowledge?!

But no matter how much he liked Rei’s company, Ai was Nagisa’s boyfriend, not Rei’s. Why did he always bring Rei along on their dates, even when Nagisa and Rei saw each other all day at school? It annoyed Ai that he felt like he was only getting half of his boyfriend’s attention, but how could he bring it up when Rei was around almost every time he saw Nagisa?

His opportunity revealed itself on Wednesday night, when Nagisa had called Ai before bedtime. They did this several times a week, and Ai was truly grateful for having his own room this year (privileges of being a third year and captain of the swim team). At least no one could see him when he paced around the room nervously, or blushed because Nagisa had said something sweet.

Ai gathered his courage and was especially glad no one else was around to hear him. “Nagisa-chan, would you like to come over for dinner this weekend? Maybe Saturday?”

“Well, I don’t think Saturday would be the best day because Rei-chan is going to dinner with his family that day,” Nagisa said. Ai’s heart leapt; this was his chance.

“But I want to see you. Does Rei-kun really have to there?” Ai asked.

“No, I suppose not…” Nagisa answered, his voice somewhat lacking its normal energy. Ai considered backtracking, saying that it was okay to wait for a time when Rei would be available. 

“It will be fun! We can get dinner and hang out in my room!” Ai said, trying to get Nagisa excited.

“You’re right! If I bring a movie, can we watch it together?” Nagisa asked, sounding a bit more perky.

“Uh…” Ai hesitated, remembering Nagisa’s love for horror movies. “Only if you hold my hand during the really scary parts,” he said shyly.

“Deal!”

***

Just as Ai predicted, he and Nagisa managed to have fun without Rei. It seemed a little weird at first, not needing to worry about finding a table at the restaurant for three, or hearing about the origin of the dish Ai ordered or why Nagisa was ruining the integrity of his food by adding extra salt. Nagisa even held his hand while they shared an ice cream sundae, something that Ai was sure never would have happened if Rei had been around. 

They chatted casually as they headed back to Ai’s room and Nagisa immediately made himself comfortable on Ai’s bed, flopping down contentedly. Ai sat down next to him and took Nagisa’s hand. Nagisa looked at Ai and smiled, then suddenly sighed and looked away.

“Is everything okay?” Ai asked.

“Yes, I had such a fun time tonight but it feels weird not having Rei-chan here,” Nagisa said sadly. It really does, Ai thought, but he wasn’t as sad about it as Nagisa seemed to be.

Ai knew that this was the appropriate time to bring up his annoyance, but he hesitated, not wanting to make his boyfriend feel more sad.

Suddenly, Ai was confronted with a vision: some time in the future, he and Nagisa about to be intimate for the first time; Rei sitting a chair nearby and critiquing Ai’s posture and Nagisa’s dirty talk.

No, he should probably say something now.

“Nagisa-chan,” he began nervously. “Can I ask why you always bring Rei-kun with us?”

Nagisa looked at him, surprised. “Do you not like him?”

“N-no, it’s not that. He’s a very good person and I can tell that he’s important to you. It’s just…you’re my boyfriend, not him. I would like to go out with just you sometimes.” Nitori blushed, hoping he hadn’t accidentally said something thoughtless.

Nagisa sat up. “Ai-chan! I didn’t know you felt that way!” Nagisa rubbed his head against Ai’s shoulder. “You should have said something!”

“Well, I didn’t want to insult him, or you,” Ai said, feeling a little sheepish. “But you still didn’t answer my original question.”

“Oh!” Nagisa sat up all the way again. “Well, Rei-chan isn’t a very social person. Now that Mako-chan and Haru-chan are in Tokyo, Rei doesn’t really have many other friends. I know he would never say it, but he gets lonely sometimes, especially when Gou-chan or I are busy with our own friends. When he’s not with me, he usually spends all of his time studying.”

Ai considered this for a minute. Rei seemed to like studying, so why would that bother Nagisa? Then, Ai remembered what little Nagisa had told him about his junior high years; he was isolated from his elementary school friends and spent almost all of his time studying. 

Ai felt a simultaneous rush of affection and pride for his boyfriend: for his lonely teenage years and for his thoughtfulness concerning Rei. Ai squeezed Nagisa’s hand and tried to kiss his cheek, only to accidentally instead put his lips on Nagisa’s ear. Nagisa giggled and kissed Ai’s forehead. 

“If you want to keep on bringing him to hang out with his, I don’t mind,” Ai said, trying to be composed despite how much he was blushing. “But…I would like some of our dates to be just us. Is that okay?” 

“Of course!” Nagisa agreed. Ai was more than a little relieved. “Maybe I should help him make some other friends so that he has someone else to hang out with.”

“Or…maybe we could help him get a boyfriend,” Ai said, wondering if being around an evil mastermind like Nagisa had rubbed off on him.

Nagisa gasped. “Yes! Then we could double date! But, who?” 

Ai grinned. “If I remember correctly, he and Rin-senpai showed interest in each other last year.”

Nagisa squealed with delight and hugged Ai with such force that he was knocked backwards onto the bed. Ai definitely didn’t mind getting Rei as some sort of package deal with Nagisa, but it was moments like this that reminded him why he’d fallen for Nagisa over anyone else, including Rei.

**Author's Note:**

> It must be my life's mission to make Rei super awkward in as many stories as possible, tbh. And to make Ai and Nagisa adorable.


End file.
